Pizza with Pizzazz

I FREAKIN LOVE PIZZA - Chicago, New York, or St. Louis style; Mr. Jims, Pizza Hut, or Dominos- you name it I love it!  I don't eat it as often as I would like, but when I do indulge, I like to make it at home because I can either make it pseudo healthy or completely decadent.  Plus I can control the amount of toppings AND the way it's made; nothing is worse than ordering a pizza, only to find that almost all of the jalapenos are on one slice or the mushrooms you ordered are pretty much non-existent....so annoying!  Besides, making pizza at home is a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen and an awesome way to entertain at your home for a fun, relaxed evening with friends.

How you choose to make your pizza is up to you; you can go traditional or you can pizzazz it up, but most importantly - it should be fun.  Here are my three favorite "pizzazzed" up pizzas to make at the casa - happy noshing!



When I'm being good

Pepperoni and Kale Pizza

**Pizza Dough
Pizza Sauce
Turkey Pepperoni
Sautéed Kale (prep recipe below)
Pickled Jalapenos
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Prep:  Sauté (2) cups of kale in garlic oil and a ¼ c. crushed red pepper.  Once kale has wilted, season with sea salt, black pepper and juice from ½ a lemon.  Set aside and let cool.

Pre-heat the oven to 450. 

 

Roll the pizza dough out to the size and shape you prefer (round or rectangular), spread ½ c. of the pizza sauce over the dough.  Next, sprinkle the sautéed kale and pickled jalapenos over the pizza.  Top the pizza with mozzarella, followed by the turkey pepperoni.

Bake until the crust is golden brown on the edges and the cheese has melted – about 15 minutes.

When I'm being kinda good...

Chicken Caesar Pizza

**Pizza Dough
½ c. *Central Market Caesar Dressing, plus extra to dress the romaine
Fresh Mozzarella, Sliced Thin
1 Chicken Breast, cooked and finely chopped
Parmesan Cheese
Crushed Red Pepper
3 c. Hearts of Romaine, chopped

Prep:   Dice the chicken breast and season it generously with salt and pepper.  In a skillet, heat up 1 tbsp of oil (I use garlic infused oil) and 1 tbsp of butter.  Add your chicken and cook until it is no longer pink.  Cool the chicken and dice it into smaller bite size pieces.

Pre-heat the oven to 450. 

Roll out the pizza dough to either a round or rectangle.  Spread the Caesar dressing evenly over the dough.  Next place the fresh mozzarella on the pizza; I like to break off pieces of the mozzarella into smaller pieces about the size of a half dollar and place it evenly around the pizza, followed by the finely diced chicken.  Last, I like to sprinkle about 1/4c. of parmesan cheese and up to 1 tbsp of crushed red pepper on the pizza before baking it.  Bake the pizza until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.

....When I'm in denial

The next step is optional.  The pizza is yummy with or without the addition of the Caesar salad on top.  I like it both ways, so it’s really what you and your family prefer.

Optional: While the pizza is cooling (10 minutes), clean your romaine and chop it into bite size pieces.  When the pizza is almost done, toss the lettuce with Caesar dressing - however much you use to dress it is up to you.  Top the pizza with the dressed romaine, slice it, and dive in.

*If you don’t have access to a Central Market, Cardini’s Caesar Dressing is a good substitute and is available in almost every grocery store.

When I don't care :)

Pecan Roquefort Grape Pizza

**Pizza Dough
Fresh Mozzarella, Sliced Thin
1 cup of seedless red grapes, sliced in half
½ c. of Roquefort cheese crumbles
½ c. of chopped pecans

Pre-heat the oven to 450. 

Roll out the pizza dough to either a round or rectangle.  Place the fresh mozzarella on the pizza; I like to break off pieces of the mozzarella into smaller pieces about the size of a half dollar and place it evenly around the pizza.   Next, place the grapes on the pizza – I prefer cut side down so they don’t roll off of the pizza when I move it.  Sprinkle the Roquefort cheese crumbles and pecans over the pizza and bake the pizza until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.

The next step is the hardest step – let the pizza cool to room temp – trust me!  I tried the pizza fresh out of the oven and it was good, I let it cool to room temp and it was pure deliciousness!


**Ok, so when I make pizza at home, I either buy the dough fresh from Central Market at the Chef's Case or I'll buy the Pilsbury Thin Crust Pizza Dough which is available in the same section as the canned biscuits.  My recipes below are created using the fresh pizza dough from CM, but if you use the Pilsbury pizza dough - be sure to follow the directions on the label to prep the dough. 

Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti and Strawberry Lemonade Dump Cake

I'm baaaaaack....after a year and half, but hey sometimes you have to lose yourself to find yourself again - right?  After being on a sabbatical I come bearing gifts - well recipes....two to be exact, with many more to follow!

I've played around with this recipe for a while and I think I've finally perfected it.  I love spaghetti and I love hot wings - so why not combine the two and create something magical and sinful!

Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti

(2) lbs. of ground chicken; 85/15
(1) small onion, finely diced
1/2 c. carrots, finely diced
1/2 c. celery, finely diced
(15) oz. can of tomato sauce
1/2 c. - 1c. of Franks Red Hot (more or less to your taste)
(1) tbsp. Sriracha (more or less to your taste)
(1) tbsp. of garlic olive oil (or garlic infused oil)
(1) tbsp. of butter
1/2 tbsp. kosher salt
27 turns of black pepper from a pepper mill
Blue Cheese
Green Onions

In a large pot heat the garlic olive oil and butter over medium high heat.  Add the onion, carrots, and celery and sweat the veggies until the onions are translucent and the carrots are soft.  Next add the ground chicken, and begin breaking it up to small crumbles - be sure to cook the chicken until it is no longer pink.  At this point you can choose to drain it or keep some of the oil - I didn't have a lot of excess fat from the chicken so I didn't drain it, but keep in mind that if you do drain it you are losing some of the flavor from the garlic oil.

OK- moving on...

Next add the can of tomato sauce, Frank's Red Hot, and Sriracha.  Out of habit, I use a little bit of water to rinse the can and pour the liquid into my sauce - but do whatever you normally do.  Bring the sauce to a boil, and reduce to medium low and simmer for a minimum of 30 minutes - the longer the better.  I simmered for almost 2 hours and stirred the sauce every 30 minutes to ensure it didn't stick to the bottom or sides of the pan.

When you're ready to nosh - I recommend serving this over spaghetti (hence the name).  I've tried this with penne, rigatoni, and orechiette - but spaghetti is my favorite.  If you're doing low carb or paleo - you can serve this over spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles.  Garnish with Blue Cheese and Green Onions.

*Alternative use for this sauce - make Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joe's with this sauce!  Just reduce the sauce to a thicker consistency or reduce the amount of tomato sauce by half, as well as, adjust the amount of Frank's.

* * * BONUS RECIPE * * *

This next recipe is super simple!!!  I love dump cakes - they're a cross between a cobbler and a pie (at least I think so).  The traditional recipe that is floating around on the internet calls for canned cherry pie mix and a can of crushed pineapple which I had neither in my pantry.  It also called for white or yellow cake mix...which I didn't have either LOL!  I had a butt load of strawberries that were on the verge of going bad and a random box of lemon cake mix - so this recipe was created based on my love for strawberry lemonade and what I happen to have on hand.  It's sweet, tangy, and so not chocolate (which by the way - I'm not a huge fan of chocolate desserts).  You may need to tweak the amount of sugar used to macerate the fruit based on the ripeness of it and the natural sweetness.

Strawberry Lemonade Dump Cake

3 lbs. of fresh strawberries, diced
2/3 c. sugar
Zest from (1) Lemon
Juice from 1/2 a Lemon (just use the same lemon)
1 box of Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Cake
2 Sticks of Butter (no exceptions or substitutions), sliced into 1/2 tbsp. slices.

Day Before
Combine the strawberries and sugar in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate over-night.

Next Day
Pre-heat oven to 350º.

Pour the strawberries (and the strawberry juice) into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle the lemon zest over the strawberries and squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the strawberries. Next, pour the dry cake mix evenly over the strawberries and gently pat down the mixture. Dot the top of the cake mix with all of the butter and place in oven. Bake until a dark golden brown- I think it was close to an hour.

Chocolate Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

For the cookies
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened good quality cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 cup whole milk (use whole - don't try to be healthy and use something less than whole!)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (splurge a little for GOOD vanilla - trust me it makes a difference)
For the filling
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/3 cup canned solid pumpkin

DirectionsPreheat oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking mat or parchment paper; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl with an electric mixer, combine the butter, shortening, and both sugars. Mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in half of the flour mixture, followed by the milk and vanilla, and add the remaining flour mixture.

Drop by the tablespoon onto prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake 12-14 minutes or until cookies spring back when lightly touched. Place baking sheet on wire rack and let cool 5-10 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheet and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Filling...
In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, butter, and confectioners sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add pumpkin and mix until smooth, scraping down bowl as necessary.

Assemble whoopie pie...
Spoon about 2 teaspoons of filling on the flat sides of half the cookies then sandwich with remaining cookies.

Texas Minestrone

There's nothing like a big bowl of homemade soup when you're feeling under the weather.  I'm a little spoiled when it comes to soup - my Mommy used to make me homemade soup when I was sick, so now that I'm a  "big kid" I refuse to eat canned soup when I'm sick....in fact the thought of it makes me gag.  Homemade soup is so comforting and perhaps it's just a mind thing - but I think it really does help take away the "ickiness".

3 tbsp. butter
1-1.5 lbs of Ground Chuck or Course Ground Beef for Chili
1 tbsp. Tony Chachere's More Spice Seasoning
1 small onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 can of Chipotle Tomatoes, diced
1 can of Corn, drained
1 can of Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 c. Worcestershire Sauce
1 box of Beef Stock
2 c. of cooked macaroni noodles

Melt the butter in a heavy pot and add the ground beef and Tony Chachere's seasoning; stirring and breaking up the meat.  Cook the meat until it is lightly browned.  Next add the onion and bell pepper and cook until the onion is transparent.  If there is an excess amount of grease in the pot, you can drain it at this point -otherwise add the tomatoes, corn, and red beans and stir the mixture until everything is well mixed.  Add the Worcestershire and beef stock - I use anywhere between 2/3 of a box to a full box of stock.  Bring the soup to a boil and reduce the temperature to medium-low/low, cover and simmer.

In the meantime, in a seperate pot - cook the macaroni noodles according to the package.  I like to cook my pasta al dente so when I add it to my soup it doesn't get too soggy.

When you're ready to eat the soup, put about 1/4c. of the cooked macaroni noodles in a bowl and add the soup mixture to the bowl.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese or some shredded cheddar cheese.

Korean BBQ Short Ribs (Gal-Bi)

The first time I had Korean food was in Austin at Korea House off of Anderson Lane.  I was so in awe of all of the little side dishes (Banchan) that came with the meal.  I've found a few places since my first Korean food experience, but Korea House will always hold a special in my heart.  Over the next few weeks - I will share some of my favorite Korean recipes with yall...hope yall enjoy!!!

2 1/2 - 3 lbs. of Korean Style Short Ribs (Beef Chuck Flanken cut 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick - see pic)
3/4 c. Soy Sauce
1/2 c. Pineapple Juice
1 tbsp. White Vinegar
1/4 c. Dark Brown Sugar
2 tbsp. White Sugar
1 tbsp. Black Pepper, Freshly Ground
2 tbsp. Sesame Oil
1/4 c. Garlic, Finely Minced
1/2 Large Onion, Finely Minced

Rinse the short ribs under cool water in a collander; pat dry and set aside.

In a glass bowl, combine the remaining ingrediants and mix thoroughly. If you don't want to mince the garlic and onion by hand, you can place them in a food processor and pulse until it is finely minced - almost in a puree form.

Place the ribs in a large Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the ribs and seal the bag.  Massage the marinade and meat together until the marinade is thoroughly distributed over the ribs.  Place the Ziploc bag in a baking dish (just in case the marinade leaks out of the bag) and place in the refrigerator.  I like to let my ribs marinade over-night, but if you don't want to wait that long - at least let them marinade for 6-8 hours...you don't want to short change yourself on flavor by cutting the time short.  I try to turn the bag once in the middle of it marinading to make sure all of the ribs get evenly marinaded.

When you're ready to cook the ribs, pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil.  Place the ribs on the foil lined baking sheet in a single layer - careful to not crowd them.  If you need to use (2) baking sheet  I would recommend it so you don't end up "steaming" your ribs.  Bake the ribs for 14-15 minutes; flipping them halfway through.

You can also grill the ribs, cooking the for the same amount of time.  I prefer to bake them because I like to pour the drippings over my rice....oh yeah -serve with steamed rice :)

The EX-Files...Part One

It's no secret amongst my friends that I have THE worst luck when it comes to romance and relationships.  I've only had a handful of serious relationships and none of them have ever panned out to more than 4 years tops.  I call it the Air Force curse because I'm an Air Force Brat and we never stayed in one place for very long....I'm used to life changing every couple of years and starting over.

I was married in 2003 and for 4 years I lived in hell.  To be honest with you - I knew it wasn't going to work after 6 months...I could not stand his family, to be specific - I couldn't stand his Mother.  There was other stuff going on too, but for the sake of not reliving some of these things I'll spare you and me the details.  His mother and I had a Love/Hate Relationship - we loved to hate each other!  By the time I walked away from my marriage, I left with all of my belongings crammed into my Expedition, $1000.00, and 2 recipes that I tweeked - 1 of them turned out to be an award winning recipe...that was my happily ever after ;)

Armadillo Eggs!

Armadillo Eggs - My Award Winning Recipe!
10 - 12 medium jalapenos, cut in half lengthwise and semi-seeded
6 oz. cream cheese, softened and room temperature
1 garlic cloved, finely minced or pushed through a press
2 c. sharp shredded cheddar
2 tubes of HOT breakfast sausage
1 pkg Oven Fry Pork Seasoning
1 1/2 c. Bisquick or similar product.

In a large bowl, combine the breakfast sausage, Bisquick, Oven Fry mix, and 1 1/2 c. sharp cheddar cheese.  The mixture will seem dry, but keep working it - it's very similar to the sausage ball recipe.  Once everything is thoroughly mixed - set it aside.

In a small bowl, place the cream cheese and minced/pressed garlic in a bowl and microwave for 20-30 seconds.  Stir the mixture and add the remaining 1/2 c. shredded cheese - stirring until everything is mixed.  The shredded cheddar doesn't need to be melted into the cream cheese mixture - set this mixture to the side.

Rinse the jalapenos under warm water and drain.  Be sure the jalapenos are dry - if needed, pat them dry.  Cut the stems off of the jalapenos, but don't cut too far into the pepper - just enough to remove the stem.  Next cut the jalapenos lengthwise and remove the seedes and ribs - you can use a pairing knife or your fingers (just remember to not rub your eyes afterwards).

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  I find it easiest to prep everything first, preheat the oven, then assemble the Armadillo eggs in stages.

Take the halved jalapeno and fill it with the cream cheese mixture using either a small cheese knife or a small teaspoon.  I usually start out using the cheese knife, but switch to my fingers because you want to make sure to pack the mixture in - BUT don't overfill it.  The mixture should be even to or little less than the edges of the jalapeno.  Repeat this step until all of the jalapenos are filled.

Next, wet your hands with water and take a golf ball size amount of the sausage mixture and pat it flat in the palm of your hand.  It's easiest to do this near the sink because you will want to keep your hands wet so the mixture doesn't stick to you when your patting the mixture flat.  Place the jalapeno, open side down onto the meat patty in your hand and begin shaping the sausage mixture around the jalapeno.  You may have to continue to wet your hands throughout this process to be able to shape it into an "egg" shape.  Place the Armadillo Egg on to the baking sheet and repeat the process.

Bake in the oven for 30-45 mns or until golden brown and the cheese starts to ooze out (just a little bit).  I personally like the Armadillo Eggs at room temperature or the day after - it gives it time to allow the flavors to mesh together.

Salami Bread - Two Ways (with peppers and without)
2 cans of canned pizza dough
2 pkgs of Beef Cotto Salami
2 c. Low Moisture Mozzarella
1 Roasted Red Bell Pepper, diced
3/4 c. Hot Peppercini Rings, diced
1 stick of Butter, melted
Fresh Cracked Pepper
Garlic Salt
Crushed Red Pepper
Onion Salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a cookie sheet or baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Salami Bread Supreme (With Peppers)
Open 1 can of the pizza dough and place on to a floured surface.  Gently kneed out or roll out the dough until it is even.

Place 8 slices of the salami on 1/2 of the dough - you will need to leave the other half free so you can fold it over on to the salami.  Sprinkle 1 c. of the mozzarella over the salami.  Next dice the roasted red bell pepper and the hot peppercini slices and sprinkle evely over the salami cheese mixture.  Fold the other half of the pizza dough over the salami, cheese, pepper mixture and crimp the edges to seal it.

Brush the top of the dough with melted butter, liberally and grind the black pepper over the dough.  Place the salami bread in the oven and bake until golden brown.  Remove the salami bread from the oven and liberally brush with the melted butter, sprinkle with garlic salt and set it aside to cool.

Traditional Salami Bread (Without Peppers)
Next, open the 2nd can of pizza dough and place on to a floured surface. Gently kneed out or roll out the dough until it is even.

Place 8 slices of the salami on 1/2 of the dough - you will need to leave the other half free so you can fold it over on to the salami. Sprinkle 1 c. of the mozzarella over the salami.

Fold the other half of the pizza dough over the salami and cheese and crimp the edges to seal it.

Brush the top of the dough with melted butter, liberally and grind the black pepper over the dough. Place the salami bread in the oven and bake until golden brown. Remove the salami bread from the oven and liberally brush with the melted butter, sprinkle with onion salt and crushed red pepper, and set it aside to cool.

Cut both salami breads into 2"wide strips.  I personally like to cut the Salami Bread Supreme into smaller squares since it's a little more robust in flavor and leave the Traditional Salami Bread in longer strips....enjoy!!!

Cajun Spiced Pecan Crusted Tilapia with Creole Cream Sauce

Cajun Spiced Pecan Crusted Tilapia

2 - Tilapia Filets, rinsed and patted dry
1/3 c. AP Flour
2 tbsp. Blackening Season
2 oz. Pecan Pieces, super finely chopped
5 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. veg oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. water
2 tbsp. Franks Hot Sauce

Combine in a pie plate or something similar in shape/size: Flour, Blackening Seasoning and the Super Finely Chopped Pecan Pieces.  In a seperate bowl combine the eggs, water, and Franks Red Hot (use more or less depending on your taste preferrence.  Dip the tilapia filet in the pecan mixture and pat the mixture onto the fish, making sure you coat as much of the fish as possible.  Next dip the fish into the egg wash - making sure to coat the fish in the wet mixture.  Now dip it back into the pecan mixture, thoroughly coating the fish and set aside onto a plate.  Repeat the the steps for the next filet and let the fish set for 15 minutes to allow the coating to adhere to the fish and dry out a bit.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium/medium high heat.  Once the butter has melted, add the oil and heat the butter/oil mixture till it's just about to smoke and is ripply in the pan.  Add the fish filets carefully - I place the thicker side of the fish towards the center of the pan.  Cook until it's golden brown on one side and flip (gently so you don't splash yourself) - cook for another 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.  Once the filets are cooked remove them from the pan with a spatula and place on a plate.

Creole Cream Sauce

2 -3 tbsp. of the pan drippings from the fish
1-2 tbsp. of flour
2 tbsp. Creole Mustard (I prefer Zatarrains)
3/4c - 1c. Chardonnay
1/2c. Heavy Whipping Cream (more or less based on your preferrence.)

Drain the butter/oil mixture from the pan - leaving 2-3 tbsp. in the pan (it's ok if there's residue/brown bits on the bottom of the pan - it adds flavor).  Add the flour - if you leave about 3 tbsp of butter/oil, use 2 tbsp. of flour; if you leave 2 tbsp of butter/oil, use 1 tbsp. of flour.  Cook the flour for a few minutes to remove the raw flour taste.  Add the creole mustard into the mixuture and combine with the roux - I use a fork at this point to help mix everything together.  Remove the pan from the burner and add the wine.  Place the pan back on the burner and use your fork to break up the roux and combine it into the wine mixture - smash it and whisk it with the fork.  Once this mixture has been combined, add the the cream and stir until everything is mixed together.  I forgot to mention - while making the sauce, be sure to set the temperature on the stove to medium-low to medium.  Spoon over the tilapia and ENJOY!!!